Saiyuki Reload

Saiyuki Reload
Cover of the first tankōbon volume, featuring The Sanzo Party.
最遊記 RELOAD
(Saiyūki Reload)
Genre
Manga
Written byKazuya Minekura
Published byIchijinsha
English publisher
ImprintZero Sum Comics
MagazineMonthly Comic Zero Sum
DemographicJosei
Original runMarch 28, 2002 – June 27, 2009
Volumes10 (List of volumes)
Further information
Anime television series
Saiyuki Reload
Directed byTetsuya Endo
Written byTetsuya Endo
Music byDaisuke Ikeda
StudioPierrot
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run October 2, 2003 – March 2, 2004
Episodes25 (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Saiyuki Reload Gunlock
Directed byTetsuya Endo
Written byTetsuya Endo
Music byDaisuke Ikeda
StudioPierrot
Licensed byCrunchyroll
  • AUS: Madman Entertainment
  • NA: Discotek Media
Original networkTV Tokyo
English network
Original run April 1, 2004 – September 23, 2004
Episodes26 (List of episodes)
Original video animation
Saiyuki Reload: Burial
Directed byKoichi Ohata
Written byKatsuyuki Sumisawa
StudioARMS
Licensed by
Released April 27, 2007 – December 28, 2007
Runtime30 minutes per episode
Episodes3 (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Saiyuki Reload: Zeroin
Directed byMisato Takada
Written by
Music byYūsuke Shirato
StudioLiden Films
Licensed by
  • NA: Sentai Filmworks
  • SA/SEA: Muse Communication
Original networkAT-X, Tokyo MX, BS11
English network
Original run January 6, 2022 – March 31, 2022
Episodes13 (List of episodes)
Sequel

Saiyuki Reload (Japanese: 最遊記 Reload, Hepburn: Saiyūki Reload) is a Japanese manga series that is a sequel to the series Saiyuki, which Kazuya Minekura wrote and illustrated. Saiyuki Reload began serialization in Ichijinsha's josei manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum from March 2002 to June 2009, the chapters of which were collected and published in ten tankōbon volumes.

Saiyuki Reload's manga includes a sequel titled Saiyuki Reload Blast. Saiyuki Reload was adapted into two anime television series, Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Gunlock, both of which were broadcast in Japan from October 2003 to September 2004. An original video animations (OVA) titled Saiyuki Reload: Burial, which covers the "Burial" arc, was broadcast in 2007. A remake of the anime series Saiyuki Reload Gunlock that was titled Saiyuki Reload: Zeroin, which covers the "Even a Worm" arc, was broadcast between January and March 2022.

Saiyuki Reload has been licensed in North America by Tokyopop, which published nine out the ten volumes from August 2005 to January 2009, leaving one volume short from finishing the series.

Premise

See also: List of Saiyuki characters

Shangri-La is a peaceful world where humans and monsters coexist. Monsters start attacking humans due to the resuscitation experiment of the great demon Gyumao. To stop the experiment Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai head for Hoto Castle in Tenjiku Province. On their journey west, they encounter various foes and are attacked by memories of the past. They try to solve the mystery of the monsters' change.

Media

Manga

See also: List of Saiyuki volumes
Monthly Comic Zero Sum May 2002 issue cover, the issue where Saiyuki Reload began its serialization (left), and August 2009 issue cover, which the series ended (right).

Saiyuki Reload, written and illustrated by Kazuya Minekura, was serialized in Ichijinsha's josei manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum. Its first installment was published in the magazine's May 2002 issue on March 28, 2002.[a] The series finished its final installment in the August 2009 issue of Monthly Comic Zero Sum, published on June 28, 2009.[b] Ichijinsha collected its chapters in ten tankōbon volumes, released from July 25, 2002,[15] to October 29, 2009,[16] and from September 2015 to January 2016 published a new paperback edition consisting of five volumes.[17][18]

In North America, Tokyopop has licensed the series,[19][20] and published it in nine volumes from August 2005 to January 2009, leaving one volume unpublished.[1] [21][22] In Australasia, Madman Entertainment published the series in nine volumes from October 2009 to October 2010.[23][24]

In France, Panini Comics licensed Saiyuki Reload;[25] in Spain by Mangaline Ediciones;[26] in Italy by Dynit;[27] and Ever Glory Publishing licensed the Chinese translation in Taiwan and published it from September to August 2022;[28][29] and Jonesky published the manga in Hong Kong.[30] In August 2022, at Taipei International Book Exhibition, Ever Glory Publishing released a book called Saiyuki Reload Collector's Edition containing all 10 volumes .[31][32]

Anime

See also: List of Saiyuki episodes

Saiyuki Reload adapted the manga series of the same name. It aired from October 2003, to March 2004 and consisted of 25 episodes. [33] A 26-episode sequel titled Saiyuki Reload Gunlock aired from April to September 2004. The other two series are licensed by Geneon in North America.[34][35] In February 2006, Geneon and Tokyopop agreed to cross promote several properties. Tokyopop's translation of Saiyuki GunLock was advertised on Geneon's DVD releases for the same series, and vice versa. [36]

In April 2007, a new original video animation (OVA) series was released by Studio Pierrot, which covers the "Burial" arc of the Saiyuki Reload manga titled Saiyuki Reload: Burial.[37] In January 2021, Liden Films announced a new anime series titled Saiyuki Reload: Zeroin, which covers the "Even a Worm" arc of the Saiyuki Reload manga. The main cast members reprised their roles.[38] It aired from January 6 to March 31, 2022, on AT-X and other networks.[39][40]

Reception

Zassosha's manga magazine, Puff, ranked the series the tenth-best long-story manga of 2006.[41][42] The manga volumes were frequently ranked in the top manga.[43][44][45] The 10th volume was ranked the 18th-top-selling manga in Japan from November 2 to 8 2009, selling 40,513 copies and a total of 114,605 copies after ranking seventh the previous week and selling 74,092 copies.[46][47]

Critical response

Ash Brown of Manga Bookshelf reviewed the manga's first three volume. He praised the artwork and called it more polished but criticized the story for being simple and lacking character development.[48] Jarred Pine of Anime on DVD praised the first volume's packaging but criticized the story, stating: "Saiyuki Reload so far seems to have lost a lot of its charm and magic, relying much more on posing bishies and their oozing cool guy attitudes rather than crafting interesting stories to tell".[49] Michael Deeley of Manga Life liked the premise and Art styles, liked how the art "switches from a realistic to cartoony style in the moment of action" and described the manga as "a good balance of action and drama" that is "bipolar, an action-comedy, one part and the other part is dark and dour".[2]

Publishers Weekly praised the protagonists, calling them likeable and enjoyable for new readers, stating: "with a winning combination of charming heroes, clever dialogue, great fight scenes and engaging stories, Reload is solid entertainment all the way".[50] Manga News gave an Average score to the first three volumes of the series, stating Sayuki Reload had moved away from the original plan and could not function as smoothly as the first series.[51][52][53] Later volumes were awarded High score and praised.[54][55][56][57][58][59][60]

M. Natali of Bd Gest gave a three-out-of-five score to the third volume, describing the story as more-or-less skillful in setting up and delving into the past of Sanzo's character, and the unusual aspect of the main characters, who have become "bad boys with attitude", which he found to be one of the series' strengths.[61] Nicolas Demay of Planete BD described the series as having "very interesting cuts and selected shots are cinematic" but he criticized volume 6, calling it "a transition volume that isn't really gripping".[62][63]

Notes

  1. ^ It started in the magazine's first issue (May issue) of 2002 (cover date May 1),[4][5][6][7][8] which was released on March 28.[9][10]
  2. ^ It finished in the magazine's August issue of 2009 (cover date August 1),[11][12][13] which was released on June 27.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Saiyuki Reload Volume 1". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on December 19, 2005. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Deeley, Michael. "Saiyuki Reload v1". Manga life. Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  3. ^ @ANIMAXAsiaTV (May 21, 2022). "June is packed with new anime shows you should be excited about! Mark your calendars, set your alarms, and keep the excitement going only here on Animax!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 21, 2022 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ 月刊Comic ZERO-SUM 2002年. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  5. ^ コミック雑誌　付録付)月刊Comic ZEROSUM 2002年5月号 (in Japanese). suruga-ya.jp. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  6. ^ 動畫《最遊記RELOAD BLAST》超帥首波PV及角色新視覺圖公開 (in Japanese). January 9, 2017. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2024. 2002年 3月 『コミックZERO-SUM』(一賽舎/現：一迅社)5月号より「最遊記RELOAD」連載開始
  7. ^ ファンタジーや学園ものなどを中心に美麗な画風の作品を揃え、世の女子たちを唸らせ悶えさせてきた月刊コミックZERO-SUM（一迅社）が、6月28日発売の8月号で100号目を迎えた。コミックナタリーでは、同誌の2大看板作家である「最遊記RELOAD BLAST」の峰倉かずやと、「LOVELESS」の高河ゆん、そして杉野庸介編集長を迎え、鼎談を敢行。8年間の軌跡を振り返ってもらうとともに、ゼロサムがいかに作家とともに成長を遂げてきたかを語ってもらった。. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2024. 2002年、月刊コミックZERO-SUM創刊号より「最遊記RELOAD」を連載開始。
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  9. ^ ゼロサム編集部 [@comic_zerosum] (February 18, 2022). 祝🎊ゼロサム20周年】読者さまのおかげで3月28日に月刊コミックZERO-SUMは創刊20周年を迎えます✨ これを記念して編集部では特別企画を多数準備中です📚 今月より順次発表していきますので続報をどうぞお楽しみに‼ こちらの20th記念ロゴが目印です🔔 (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024 – via Twitter. で3月28日に月刊コミックZERO-SUMは創刊20周年を迎えます
  10. ^ ZERO-SUM創刊7周年記念、サインもノートも大盤振る舞い. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 11, 2009. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024. 3月28日に発売の5月号にて創刊7周年を迎える月刊コミックZERO-SUM（一尽社）。
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  16. ^ 最遊記RELOAD (10) (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
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  21. ^ "Saiyuki Reload Volume 9". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  22. ^ "An Introduction to the "SAIYUKI" Anime". Crunchyroll. July 6, 2017. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
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  24. ^ "Saiyuki Reload (Manga) Vol. 09". Madman Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
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